Here we go again: California group attacks state professor for pro-BDS website

The AMCHA Initiative, a California-based Israel advocacy group, is at it again. The group dedicated to monitoring Palestine solidarity groups on campus and filing legal complaints to halt activism is continuing to target Professor David Klein, who teaches math at California State University Northridge (CSUN).

The Israel advocacy group sent a letter last week to the California State University Board of Trustees alleging that Klein broke the law by promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement on a website hosted by the university. The letter also blasts Klein for using his university e-mail to promote a Green Party Congressional candidate who supports the BDS movement.

The attempt to use the law to target Klein is part of the AMCHA Initiative’s larger campaign of policing BDS activity on campus, which they label as anti-Semitic.

The complaint is largely a reprise of past attempts to use legal measures to bar Klein from hosting the BDS website. But the university has rejected the claims lodged by Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a University of California lecturer and the head of the AMCHA Initiative, that Klein violated the law with his web page.

When Rossman-Benjamin has brought up similar complaints in the past, the university’s president, while saying he was personally uncomfortable with some of the web material, affirmed that “the University does uphold and preserve the principles of academic freedom—and Professor Klein’s right to express his views. Our review affirmed that this right extends to the use of an individual’s web pages, as part of the University website, as a vehicle for expression.” The CSU president also said Klein’s web page does not mean that the university endorses his views. The California Attorney General likewise rejected Benjamin’s request to prosecute Klein over alleged “misuse of state resources” last June.

Now, Benjamin is pointing to a part of the California Education Code that bars the use of CSU’s name to promote political initiatives like a boycott. The letter Benjamin sent alleges that, if the university did not grant permission for the web page, Klein is violating the statute by using a CSU website to promote the BDS movement. The AMCHA Initiative letter also warns CSU that if they don’t agree with her, “we will inform the alumni, donors, Jewish supporters and members of the Jewish community throughout the state and across the country that the CSU Board of Trustees not only condones anti-Semitic behavior at California State University, but is directly responsible for its spread.”

Benjamin testified on the matter at a CSU Board of Trustees meeting yesterday. Her testimony was followed by statements made by two members of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP): Estee Chandler and Carol Smith. Chandler, a chapter organizer with JVP, told the Board of Trustees “that she rejects attempts to limit free expression and robust debate on campuses by attacking groups and individuals in order to limit criticism of the policies of the State of Israel.”

JVP’s efforts bolstered moves by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the National Lawyers Guild to push back against Benjamin’s claims.

In a September 22 letter sent to CSU’s trustees, attorneys Liz Jackson and Jim Lafferty said that Benjamin was distorting the spirit of the law she cited. “It is clear from the context that the purpose of the statute is to deter people from attempting to misattribute their own expressed beliefs as having official university endorsement. There is no evidence that Prof. Klein implied university endorsement of his views,” they wrote.

The lawyers added that Benjamin’s attacks on Klein were aimed at silencing “discourse by students, faculty and others who speak out in criticism of Israeli government policies.”

About Alex Kane

Alex Kane is a freelance journalist who focuses on Israel/Palestine and civil liberties. Follow him on Twitter @alexbkane.

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35 Responses

if they don’t agree with her, “we will inform the alumni, donors, Jewish supporters and members of the Jewish community throughout the state and across the country that the CSU Board of Trustees not only condones anti-Semitic behavior at California State University, but is directly responsible for its spread.”

The double whammy of huge Zionist donations and the jew-hater card, plus that the main media never digs into this stuff and exposes it for what it is, thuggery, so Dick and Jane remain clueless–is the biggest problem America faces because at least Dick and Jane are vaguely aware Wall St is a big problem, and lack of jobs is obvious.

I think he was called Aaron Swartz, an internet genius. He died aged 26. The obituary in the NZZ, a swiss newspaper included the following “Mit seinem juedischen Hintergrund reagierte er empfindlich auf jede Diskriminierung”

“With his Jewish background he was acutely sensitive to any kind of discrimination. ”

Zionism beats that compassion out of Jews to make thugs. It is the distance between yiddish and modern hebrew.

Yea he is. No surprise there….Jews, gentiles, we’re all their enemies if we deny them anything. The Zio cult has no loyalties to anything but the I- cult.

EXCLUSIVE: Jewish Group Takes California State University …http://www.algemeiner.com › Featured‎
2 days ago – The website logo of California State University-Northridge … ignored at CSU- Northridge, where Jewish mathematics professor David Klein

« Aletho News
alethonews.wordpress.com/tag/david-klein/
Jan 28, 2012 – Now, the CSUN management is convinced that Israel is a safe place even … Dr. David Klein, a renowned Jewish professor of Mathematics,

I am a faculty member at DePaul University and was present for and involved with the events during 2007-2008. Norman Finkelstein’s Jewish heritage did not protect him from multiple virulent and non-factual smears, anti-Semitism prominently among them, right next to Holocaust denier. Both of which were the kneejerk responses I received from too many so-called intellectual, academic friends across the city when I raised the subject.

What do you think happened and what is happening? Is it de jure to accept this treatment of folks trying to “break the silence” within Universities all over our States ??? I would like to hear much more.

I don’t think most faculty and most other academic participants *want* to accept mistreatment of one of their number. However, the default university administration’s position is risk-aversion, of all kinds. The situation at DePaul unfortunately had several layers (the tenure process e.g.), each of which was vulnerable to influence, so those determined to oust Dr. Finkelstein could work the system from different angles, relying on the built-in risk-averse responses of several separate administrative bodies.

Arguably things are a little better nationwide rather than worse, with Dr. Finkelstein’s situation being a low point for justice, or from the perpetrators’ point of view, a lucky heavy blow. It does seem that if a school ignores such threats, nothing terrible actually tends to happen to it. I hang onto some dim hope that most other schools are or perhaps are becoming less vulnerable. On the negative side, moral courage is by far the least common feature of university administrations. On the positive side, an emergent student group for academic freedom and SJP organized some high-quality and influential events at DePaul in the following years and managed to withstand some pretty tough Hillel International broadsides, with at least some consideration from the relevant administration.

The people I referenced above were outside of the immediate situation and knew about it only at second-hand, however, and they were disappointingly vulnerable to believing and perpetuating the smears. This *was* definitely disheartening and frightening … sadly, academic culture is very vulnerable to gossip and innuendo.

More precisely, they are allowed to practice it not simply in private but out of sight. Husseiniyas for 20% of the country’s Shia Muslims are not permitted. Egypt also forbids the building of Huseiniyas eventhough the number of Shia there is minute.

Don’t be diverted by this bit of sleight-of-hand. Saudia Arabia, or more accurately the House of Sa’ud, is hand-in-glove with Israel regarding Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. Don’t forget the Future Movement shenanigans re: Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, and if you look for historical instances of substantive opposition between the two nations, you’ll be looking for a while. Neither could continue their respective shady-sticky relations with the U.S. and their corresponding positions of international privilege without the other. In these positions, they present twin bastions of bigotry.

Mike’s post is full of internal holes, conflating both religion and slavery with racism for instance. But his diversion is clear: keep us yipping about those holes and we concede the real lie, claiming that Saudi Arabia and Israel are somehow a viable topic for contrasts.

Re:..
”The AMCHA Initiative letter also warns CSU that if they don’t agree with her, “we will inform the alumni, donors, Jewish supporters and members of the Jewish community throughout the state and across the country that the CSU Board of Trustees not only condones anti-Semitic behavior at California State University, but is directly responsible for its spread.”

Every time I see attempts like this to destroy US free speech and academic freedom for the unsavory purposes of a foreign country I go out in my community and educate more Americans on the fact that those like you and your organizations are acting in the interest of a foreign government and are detrimental to all Americans welfare and US democracy.
So threaten whoever you please, we are also threatening out politicians that any who support Israel and it’s violations of international law, pledge any loyalty to any foreign country, cater to any foreign special interest groups, take any directions from the US Israel Lobby will not get our votes or political donations.

So go ahead…we’ll see in the final analysis if the phony anti semite slurs can trump our already well evidenced ‘Anti American’ charge in the US public’s mind.
I am betting it won’t.

The claim will be that the doctor supports anti-Israeli causes; and that by hosting his webpages the University has become an accessory to terrorism.

They go after everyone. Check their website. They cannot attack free speech in America, so they will bankrupt it.

Now, I am NOT in favor of BDS.

Neither am I in favor of suppressing free speech, or making BDS illegal.

So this is a hard call.

I think Dr. Klein is over the top; but the law is on his side. I do not agree with his views, but what about Academic Freedom?

However, the Israeli Law Center and hard core Zionists are NOT going to give in. This is what those who oppose the Zionist movement do not grasp.

THEY WILL NOT GIVE IN. Israel and her supporters will use nuclear weapons before they surrender control of Judea and Samaria.

Every issue, every website, every paragraph, every opinion will become a Stalingrad to them.

Right or wrong, this is the cold hard fact.

You think I am crazy with my suggestions; but the fact is: Israel will NOT budge. Any concessions are cosmetic. Releasing prisoners means nothing if they then build settlements.

Now, I am NOT even opposed to settlements, per se.

I am opposed to idiocy, though.

This is a losing battle. Either grasp that or restock your grandparents bunkers they built for nuclear war. Israel will NOT surrender one inch. All they will do is slow down the official annexation to prevent world outrage.

“Israel and her supporters will use nuclear weapons before they surrender control of Judea and Samaria.”

Let’s suppose you are right and that Israel will commit not just suicide for itself but suicide for every Jew on the planet before giving up the West Bank, what then of the Palestinians?

“THEY WILL NOT GIVE IN”

Neither will we or the Palestinians, that’s a fact YOU seem to find hard to grasp. And surely the first word in your sentence should be “we.”

“I am not saying Israel is wrong.”

You can look at annexation, ethnic cleansing, bigotry on levels that would have made South Africa blush and not call it wrong? Thanks for the example of why Zionism is and always has been a morally bankrupt philosophy.

>> THEY WILL NOT GIVE IN. Israel and her supporters will use nuclear weapons before they surrender control of Judea and Samaria. … Israel will NOT budge. Any concessions are cosmetic. … Israel will NOT surrender one inch. … I am not saying Israel is wrong.

The point is of course the difference between criticism and boycott. The former is a democratic measure the latter is a form of “declaration of war” by means other than physical violence. Being so, you can be sure that Israel (in fact any one in that situation) and supporters will fight boycott by any means they have – La guerre comme a la guerre.

ivri says: “[B]oycott … is a form of “declaration of war” by means other than physical violence.”

Mhm, so Jews in Palestine allready declared war in mandated Palestine when they boycotted Arab markets and labor? General Attorney of Palestine Norman Bentwich (a moderate Zionist Jew) called it “economic Apartheid”.

If the BDS movement revives this semester, the Zionist thugs lose.
If not, they can run riot completely unopposed. Remember that there are very, very few Zionists. It’s a filthy, racist doctrine, something shameful to express in public.

All you need is 3 students demanding a strong boycott-Israel resolution, and the entire campus’s life will change. Next week is October. Where is the “BDS movement”? It represents a good clean cause– resistance to racist violence.

RE: “The AMCHA Initiative, a California-based Israel advocacy group, is at it again. The group dedicated to monitoring Palestine solidarity groups on campus and filing legal complaints to halt activism is continuing to target Professor David Klein, who teaches math at California State University Northridge (CSUN).” ~ Alex Kane

MY COMMENT: This Zionist attempt at the suppression of free speech is yet another reason I fear that Revisionist Zionism and Likudnik Israel (specifically by virtue of their inordinate sway over the U.S.) might very well be an “existential threat” to the values of The Enlightenment [like the “right of free speech” and the “freedom of association”]! ! !“Down, down, down we [the U.S.] go into the deep, dark abyss; hand in hand with Israel.”

Here’s the so-called quote from the law contained in the AMCHA letter (California Education Code Section 89005.5):

“No person shall, without the permission of the Trustees of the California State University, use this name [California State University], or any abbreviation of it or any name of which these words are a part …to display, advertise, or announce this name publicly at, or in connection with, any…promotional activity of any kind which has for its purpose or any part of its purpose the support, endorsement, advancement…of…boycott.”

(D) Abbreviations of names listed in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C),
including, but not necessarily limited to, all of the following:
(i) “Cal State.” [short names of above…]

(2) No person shall, without the permission of the Trustees of the
California State University, use this name, or any abbreviation of it
or any name of which these words are a part, in any of the following ways:

(A) To designate any business, social, political, religious, or other
organization, including, but not limited to, any corporation, firm,
partnership, association, group, activity, or enterprise.

(B) To imply, indicate, or otherwise suggest that any product, service, or
organization is connected or affiliated with, or is endorsed, favored, or
supported by, or is opposed by the Trustees of the California State
University or any educational institution administered by the trustees.
The permission of the trustees is required before any name listed in this
subdivision may be used for any commercial purpose.

(C) To display, advertise, or announce this name publicly at, or in
connection with, any meeting, assembly, or demonstration, or any
propaganda, advertising, or promotional activity of any kind which has
for its purpose or any part of its purpose the support, endorsement,
advancement, opposition, or defeat of any strike, lockout, or boycott
or of any political, religious, sociological, or economic movement,
activity, or program.

(b) However, nothing in this section shall interfere with any person who makes, or restrict the right of any person to make, a true and accurate statement of his or her present or former relationship or connection with, his or her employment by, or his or her enrollment in, the California State University in the course of stating his or her experience or qualifications for any academic, governmental, business, or professional credit or enrollment, or in connection with any academic, governmental, professional, or other employment whatsoever.

(c) Every person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

—

AMCHA selective quotes in bold in the law cite.

I guess the questions are [include?]:

1) whether the State of Israel is a “political, religious, sociological, or economic movement, activity, or program.”; and,

2) whether the University’s affirmation quoted in the article is in fact permission.

the AMCHA letter that that threatens to slander/defame CSU as condoning and being directly responsible for the spread of anti-semitism and threatens to harm its income is legally called slander and defamation. any financial harm from it is valid proof in court.

on a separate note, it is hilarious every time zionists compare themselves to Saudi Arabia to feel better about apartheid. the first time a zionist friend showed me the pic of a SA road split with a sign for muslims and non-muslims, that was my first clue that zionism really is racism. it is especially funny now that Israel comes out and says that it has so much in common with Saudi Arabia. Professor Klein’s opinion is not over the top of anything except narrow minds.

just visited Prof. Klein’s website. it is thorough and concise and puts the reality on a web page. if that makes you uncomfortable, it is because ethnic cleansings are not nicey-nice or pretty to look at. we HAVE to look and feel bad because here in the US, we are directly causing it to go on every day.

Israel’s BDS Harassflies
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Sep 2013 – By Vacy Vlazna Israel, a leading innovative armament designer, producer and exporter has released worldwide, against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), a new weapon – a mutation of the pesky and potentially lethal horsefly – the harassfly hatched in the Department of Hasbara in the Prime Minister’s Office. Whenever there is a BDS action or an event promoting cultural and/or political awareness of Palestine within seconds you’ll hear their drivelling droning of ‘zzz-hasbara-antisemitism-hasbara-zzzz-incitement-to-hate–zz-racism-zzz-hasbara-zzzz-delegitimisation-zzzz-victimisation-zzz” The buzzing comes from a variety of species; Shurat HaDin (Israel), Israel Lobby (USA), CRIF, LDJ, (France) JBD (Australia), the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism (LD) plus the swarms of students from the seven Israeli universities recruited and paid to write pro-Israel tweets and Facebook messages to normalize and whitewash Israel’s apartheid policies and its aggressive illegal military occupation of Palestine. The Israel Law Center or Shurat HaDin (SHD) is particularly nasty attacking with the…http://www.palestinechronicle.com/israels-bds-harassflies/

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